Bumper with rubber buffer



A. G. GEISTERT ET AL March 13, 1928 BUMPER WITH RUBBER BUFFER- Filed Aug. 20. 1926 gnaw/M4 01; Jmkaiwmhz as @Yzfjjwfezf Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT G. GEISTERT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER, JR, OF

SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO GENERAL DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MOTORS CORPORATION, OF

BUMPER WITH RUBBER BUFFER.

Applicationfiled' August 20, 1926. Serial No. 130,445.

This invention relates to vehicle bumpers of the multiple spring bar type, wherein'a' single rear bar has pivoted or hinged at its ends, a pair of front impact bars. Such bumper bars are usually constructed of light but strong spring metal, and the front and rear bars are spaced from each other. They may be located at the front and rear of the vehicle to cushion the shock of a collision and prevent injury to the vehicle. When an obstacle is struck, the impact if sufiiciently severe, will cause the front and rear bars to contact each other. Occasionally, such metallic contact is of sufficient violence, to strain and break the bars. At other times, the bars assume a permanent distorted contacting position, at which time they are apt to rattle and become noisy.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a buffer or resilient cushion between the bars, to prevent their contact, but which will not in any way interfere with their impact absorbing characteristics.

A further object is to provide a simple, but etlicient form of buffer, which will be economical to manufacture, easy to'assemble or install on existing bumpers, and unlikely to get out of repair.

In the drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, Figure 'l is a top plan view of a conventional bumper attached on the front of an automobile, with the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of such bumper,

Figure 8 is transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of a butter element,

Shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, is the front of an automobile, with a pair of brackets 1-1 bolted to the longitudinal frame members. Each bracket has an outturned angular extremity on which is mounted a single rear bar 2, by means of U-clamps 8-3. The rear bar 2 extending transversely across the front of the automobile, consists of an intermediate straight portion, and reversely curved and portions, each terminating in a hinge eye. A pair of spaced impact bars 4 and 5 are located to the front of the single rear bar 2 and' in aced relation therewith, the ends of wbic are slightly eyes, fastening one of the impact bars above ixznd she other below the rear or supporting For the purpose of providing a pleasing appearance, the front bars are often painted, enamelledpr nickelled in contrasting colors. In quantity production, the economical method of producing such contrast has been found to be the enamelling of the bumper bars one color, for instance, black, and nickel plating a thin sheet metal strip to cover a portion of the front or impact bars. Such thin sheet metal strips are shown at 7 on the front bars 4 and 5, held in place by a series of clamps. Any number of clamps may be employed, the drawing showing one in the center and one on either side. These clamps also serve to maintain the impact bars 4 and 5 in their-proper spaced relation and insure their conjoint action even though only one of the bars engages an obstacle.

Each clamp consists of front plate 8, having its extremities turned inwardly about the top of the bar 4 and bottom of the bar 5, and a rear plate 9, the two plates being drawn together by bolts 10 passing thru the plates. The bolts 10 extend intermediate the two front bars, and are thus in the plane of the single rear bar 2. Ordinarily, upon a. severe impact, with the plates arranged in the location shown, the ends of the bolts of thru a slot in such rubber lock 10. Upon drawingup the bolts, the rubber between the plates 8 and 9 is slightly compressed to frictionall hold the block in lace. The freeend o the block extends slig itly beyond the ends ofthe bolts so that it makes advance contact with the rear bar and is compressed to cushion the contact.

Constant or extremely heavy impact may result in ermanent distortion of the spring bars, wi out, however, destroying the resilient bumper effect. If the distortion be such that the bars are set closely adjacent each other, the buffer block 11 prevents rattle and noise due to vibratory contact during vehicle travel.

The buffer element may assume other forms than shown and there is no intention to limit the invention to the exact details, but it is to be understood that various modifications may be made as come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A vehicle bumper including a rear supporting bar carried by the vehicle, a pair of front spring bars located above and below and in horizontal spaced relation with the intermediate portion of the supporting bar and hinged to the supporting bar at their respective ends, a pair of clamp plates co-operating with front and rear faces of the front bars to maintain such bars in alignment and in spaced relation with each other, fastening bolts passing thru both plates intermediate the spaced front bars, and a buffer also located intermediate the front bars and projecting beyond the ends of the bolts toward the rear bar preventing contact by said bolts with the rear bar u on deflection of the bumper bars, said bu er having a slot thru which one of said plates extends to secure the same in place.

2. A vehicle bum er including a pair of spaced front spring ars, a single rear spring bar hinged between the front bars at their outer ends, the intermediate portions of the front and rear bars being spaced from each other, a plurality of spacer clamps for the front bars, eachconsisting of a front and rear plate and fastening bolts for the plates, a resilient unit carried by one of the clamp plates projecting slightly beyond the fastening bolts to prevent their contact with the rear bar upon springing of the bars toward each other.

3. A vehicle bumper comprising a supporting bar extending transversely of the vehicle, a pair of impact bars hinged at their outer ends to said supporting bar above and below said bar, the intermediate portions thereof being spaced from the supporting bar and a resilient buffer carried by said impact bars at a medial point and projecting rearwardly therefrom toward and in horizontal alignment with said supporting bar.

4. A vehicle bumper comprising a pair of spaced impact bars, a supporting bar therefor spaced rearwardly therefrom and extending in a plane opposite to the space between said impact bars, means for clamping the central portions of said impact bars together, and a resilient butler associated with the clamp means in alignment with and ex tending toward said su portin bar.

In testimony whereoi we a x our signatures.

ALBERT G. GEISTERT. JAMES M. SCHOONMAKER. Jn. 

